Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-09-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for August
28-" Piety Without
Display"

28-" Piety Without
Display"
The subject for the lesson on the 2Sth in
slant may be found in the first fifteen verses
of the sixth chapter of Matthew. Time, sum
mer Of A. d. %. Place, Mount of Beatltuues.
SPECIAL MENTION
Atms-gtVimg Aims here means acts Of kind
ness to the poor, the giving OF money, food,
clothing, or any such supply to the destitute.
The history of the word "alms" is singularly
Greek it was the quality of mercy. The prac-
tlce of the Hellenlstic Jews limited the word
leteen,osyna) to moneygifts. 1t passed with
t TINS meaning into European languages IN va
the word of six syllabies and rich fullness of
meaning contracts and collapses into our
modern English salms" Ellicott) Aims
giving is abundantly enforced as religious
auty both in the Old and the New 1estaments.
lAbbott) Whilst you can not argue the gen--
uineness of q mans religion from the fact of
ms aims giving, because the hypocrite gives
aims" you can argue the wortnlessness of a
mans religion from the neglect of his aims
giving; llhomas.) Ams-;givng was held IN
high honor among the Jewish people. At
their feasts they never forgot the poor Esther
TX. ~. BY poet and prophet the virtue was
accounted as good evidence of genuine piety
Psalm XII y, and this was why it was APP
Comm.)
SCRIPTURE POSTURE IN PRAYER.
lhree pastures in prayer are mentioned in
Scripture: Standing Il Sam. L. 26; Mark IL:
Dan. =: 10; Luke ~: Al; Acts 1: g.; 9: Az; ~:
So: II: 81; and, in cases of peculiar awe and
distress, p''oSlratiom on The face (Num. IL: %;
josh 5: u; Dan. $: II; Matt rs: 80; Rev.
posture, it is plain that this formed no part
OF the display, which consisted in choosing
the most pubnc places to parade their devo-
tlons. u5roadus)
re LORDS Prayer. In the Lords Prayer
.. highly exalted ). Holy. 4 King. ).
Sovereign 9. Almighty, TO- Glorious. II.
Eternal.
We have also in this prayer revelation of
man, as l. A child of Goa; 2 Belonging to
great fraternity; 3. Related to the heavens; 4.
With moral nature capable of recognizing
the holiness of God; 5. A subject of the d.
vine Kingdom; 6. Having an interest in the
for daily food; 8. Guilty and in need OF par
don; 9. Exposed to temptation and evil.
We have also the ideal earth: l. The home Of
devout and affectionate brotherhood; 2.
Pure with the holiness of hearts that honor
God; b Like heaven, its inhabitants render
ing prompt glad, cheerful, and perfect ODE
dience; 4. Its needs supplied by bountiful
providers; 5. Its inhabitants forgiven and
LOVING; 4. Temptations forever removed; 2.
The plains and mountains and seas and
cities filled with the power and glory of
Gods everlasting kingdom. Wincent) A
pattern or specimen OF the true form of
Christian prayer is gwen; hence other pray
ers are not only allowed but required. Two
forms Of this prayer exist (See Luke XII. 2-4).
(Schah.) In this prayer our Lord shows his
disciples how an infinite variety of wants aud
requests can be compressed into few hum
BILE petitions. 1t embodies every possible de-
nj hna p1,o1o yorI1 oR
spiritual requirements. yet al! in the most
simple, condensed, and humble form, re-
sembling, in this respect, a pearl on which
the light of heaven plays (Lange.) This
which constitute the very soul of religion,
sentiments which are the germs of all holy
deeds in all worlds. First tilial reverence.
God is addressed not as the great unknown,
not as th hG tss o9 but
tractive, and transforming, name. Second
| ly, divine loyalty. sThy kingdom Gomez
Thirdly, conscious dependence. sGive US
dencs s fbn fGarSh
prayer, as indeed every prayer, is a letter
from earth to heaven. Here is the inscrip-
ton, Our Father; the place, in heaven; the
contents, in the several errands; the close,
fol. thine is the kingdom; the seal, Amen,
| (Matthew Henry.) 1t is a form to be devoutly
used on proper occasions and perfect pat
tern which could only proceed from the lips
of the Son of God (schaff.j 1t may often
the very words, but it is not always necessary.
for we do not find that the apostles thus used
it; but We ought always to pray after the
manner of it-that is, with that reverence,
zeal for his glory, love to mankind, submis-
sion, and meditation in temporal and ear
nestness about spiritual things which it
inculcates .T., scottl See also Luke's
| account of this drayer, Luke IL: 4
CONNECTING LINK
| Christ corrects other false interpretations
| of the law, and shows how much higher was
the standard of morality that he inculcated
than that which had hitherto been taught and
practiced. He gives as an example ~ that
against swearing VS. $3.50; 81 the law Of
retaliation Tvs. 3S-4D; ~ the law regulating
our relations with enemies Tvs. 43 40 The
forty eighth verse is the summing up Of the
part of the sermon on the mount which is
contained in this and the preceding lesson
1t is the complement Of vs.. 1920, and shows
| how the law is fulfilled in Christ; and, in
deed, it is the summins-up of the whole law
and interpreted by Christ both by his teach
ing and example (Peloubet)
VS.. ST. 1vhem ye pray: Assuming that
greater display See Special Mention Syn
agogues. Always open for purposes of prayer.
Corners. Conspicuous places: Haze received
their reward Have it in full; with no pros
pect of any to come later. Thou. Again in
marked contrast Inner chamber Wherever
they might have a retired and secret Ilace,
after some room on the housetop aIsaac's
closet was field Gen. "a: 63); David's closet
was his bed-chamber (Ps. 4: 4; n: 6); our
Lords closet was a mountain Matt ii: 23) !;
Peters closet was housetop (Acts 49, 9)"
| Shat thy door. Guarding against publicity
and intrusion Pray to thy Futhe7: Not to
self or to man. Vain repetitions. Literally
babble not, or stammer not See Hi Is: rs:
Acts 49,: 81 This does not discourage much
praying duke 6: 12), nor repetition in prayer
| Matt 26: AZ, but vain repetitions.
| TOPIC AND OUTLINE.
| In this lesson we find two very important
| duties, which really cover the whole religious
| life. One looks toward man, the other toward
| God; the one has reference to being bless
! ing to others, the other to receiving blessing
| from God
CHRISTIAN GIVING AND PRAYING.
| l. Christian giving ~ should not be with
parade and ostantation, for this Is hypocrt-
ical, selfish, and foolish; and (2) SHOULD be
modest humble. without display, for such
| giving is most acceptable, most beneficial, and
honored of God. In ali our giving there
should be less parade and moro conscience
and convection; less giving because others do
or do not give, and more giving because God
| asks it Then. too. If W.. give from the HIGH